All Souls, Great And Small
by enchantment1972
Summary: Wyatt's hamster, Herbert, passes on and in an effort to provide him with a proper afterlife; Wyatt summons the Angel of Death. Needless to say, the Angel of Death is not pleased.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything in relation to Charmed.

"So," inquires Leo as he flips through the Book of Shadows, "what kind of demon are we looking for?"

Piper runs a hand through her hair while she examines the page before her. "Well, from what Phoebe said…," her voice trails off as she spies Wyatt entering the attic bearing both a sad face and a very still hamster.

Concerned, Piper heads straight over to her son and asks, "Sweetie, what's wrong? Why are you so sad?"

Wyatt cuddles his hamster against his chest while his other hand emits a golden glow as it hovers over the small lifeless body. He gazes forlornly up at his parents and informs them in a bewildered tone, "Herbert won't heal."

Piper and Leo glance at each other with matching pained expressions before focusing back on Wyatt. Leo holds out his hands to the boy and suggests, "Hey, buddy, why don't you let me take a look at Herbert? Okay?"

Wyatt passes Herbert over to Leo, who after a quick assessment, tries to hide a grimace from his son as he gives Piper a barely imperceptible nod. Leo cradles the hamster in one hand as he reaches out to draw Wyatt to his side with the other. "I'm sorry, son, but it looks like Herbert has passed away."

Prompted by Wyatt's confused stare, he gently explains, "He's dead, Wyatt, that's why you couldn't heal him." Leo uses his thumb to wipe away the tears that are slowly trailing down Wyatt's face. "I know you're going to miss him but he's in a better place now, buddy."

A broken hearted Wyatt immediately curls into his father's side as both parents tightly secure their arms around him to offer what little comfort that they can. Piper soothes, "It's okay, honey, everything's going to be okay."

She gives him one last squeeze and places a kiss atop his head before swiftly standing up and walking over to an antique dresser in the corner of the attic. She searches through each drawer until she comes across an old wooden jewelry box that she used to love playing with as a child. Grabbing a rag off of the dresser, she quickly polishes the jewelry box until every trace of dust is removed before hurrying back to Wyatt.

Kneeling next to him, Piper repeatedly runs her hand through his hair until he's calmer, and then she offers him the box. "Look, baby, see this box?" Wyatt moves his head slightly away from Leo's shoulder so that he can take a peek. Piper opens the box and gently takes hold of one of his hands so that he can run his fingers over the velvety interior. "Feel how soft that is, Wyatt? We can use it to bury Herbert in." She wipes away the last of his tears. "He'll be fine."

"No!" wails Wyatt as he pushes the box away. "He needs a better place!"

And then before either Piper or Leo is able to offer any more comfort, a swirl of blue orbs drifts down to reveal the Angel of Death. Both adults merely stare at the new arrival, stunned at his appearance and literally deathly afraid that they know who caused it.

They watch fretfully as he takes in his surroundings and demands, "What am I doing here?" He faces them and directs a furious gaze onto Piper. "Why have you summoned me?"

Upset at the presumptuous of his accusation, regardless of how accurate it may be, Piper angrily retorts, "What makes you think that we summoned you?" She moves to stand protectively in front of Wyatt while aiming an irritated glance at Death. "You're the last person that we want to see!"

His manner radiating condescension, he exhibits a slight smirk while he inquires knowingly, "Then why am I here?"

Leo shifts uncomfortably and offers, "Um…actually, it was Wyatt who summoned you."

"Leo!" scolds Piper as she glares at him. "Don't tell him that!"

"He would have figured it out anyway, Piper!" defends Leo. He gazes at Death, beseeching him to understand. "I'm sure that he didn't mean it."

Death's eyes widen in incredulity and anger. "And you allowed this to happen?" He stalks over to the family until he stands a mere foot away from them. "Let me remind you, I am the Angel of Death, an agent of the Grand Design. However, what I am not now nor will I ever be, is summoning practice for a child's homework assignment for Magic School!"

Piper rolls her eyes in exasperation and scoffs, "Look, buddy, back off! Wyatt didn't summon you just so that he could practice magic!" She blithely ignores Death's affronted countenance at being addressed so casually and peers down at her son affectionately as he wraps his arm around her leg.

She rests her hand alongside Wyatt's head and gives him a soft smile before she turns back to Death with a somber expression. "We've had a death in the family."

Death's brow furrows in consternation as he raises his hand into the air to conjure his list of souls. He swiftly scans the list of names before throwing it to the side as it vanishes into thin air. "You're wrong, there's no member of your family on my list and I have no record of any other souls to be collected at this house."

Leo steps forward and lays his hand on Wyatt's shoulder. "Maybe not a human soul, but he was still a member of our family."

At Leo's declaration, Wyatt releases Piper's leg and holds up Herbert for Death's inspection. "Herbert won't heal," he remarks sadly.

Death's lips press together in a firm line before he notes, "Yes, I can see that. I'm sorry for your loss." Then in a tone with a hard edge to it that is directed at Piper, "Might I speak with you in private for a moment?"

As Leo continues to console Wyatt, Death and Piper make their way to the other side of the room. When they're assured that they are far enough away that Wyatt can't hear their conversation, he hisses, "Are you telling me that you are expecting _**me**_ to collect the soul of a vermin? I am not _**pest control!"**_

Piper motions at him with her hands to keep his voice down before she replies, "Yes, I know. We are all fully aware of that little fact, thank you. Now, I'm sorry about all of this, I really am, but while Herbert may be nothing more than a 'pest' to you, he was Wyatt's best friend."

She quickly holds up her hand when it looks like he's going to interrupt her. "And before you say anything about Wyatt, you need to remember that he's just a little boy who's hurting very much and only wants the best for his friend." She gives him a meaningful look as she adds, "And _that's_ why he brought _you_ here."

Death simply stares blankly at her before abruptly releasing a sigh of defeat and marching back over to Wyatt and Leo. His eyes fill with compassion as he offers his condolences to Wyatt. "I'm sorry that you lost your…friend. It's obvious that you cared for him a great deal," he comments approvingly as he peers down at the hamster in assessment. "He appears to have been well fed."

He then smiles benignly at the boy followed immediately by announcing his departure with a curt nod. Before he is able to take his leave, Leo nervously clears his throat and poses, "I was talking to Wyatt and we were wondering…well…if you could maybe say a few words before you go?"

Death stares disbelievingly at the Whitelighter and his wife and his jaw tightens considerably when Wyatt quietly requests, "Please." His own frustrated gaze meets the imploring ones of both Piper and Leo which is accompanied by a helpless shrug from Leo at his son's plight.

The Angel of Death closes his eyes tightly in resignation. How many times has he been placed in this situation? Expected to offer solace and words of encouragement, usually to the soul that is ready to move on. _Not this time of course, it's never that way with the Halliwells._

He kneels down in front of the child and places his hand on the boy's shoulder in a supportive gesture. "I know that you're hurting Wyatt, but you need to look at the bigger picture, the Grand Design, if you will. Now what I'm about to tell you may be a trite saying but it doesn't mean that it holds any less true. When one door closes, another door opens. The pain of loss is great but it also fuels the desire to connect with another being, the ability to risk experiencing that pain again by opening your heart to another."

_Like losing Prue and finding Paige, _muses Piper in silent acceptance and with a slight nod of agreement.

"You will find another soul to care for," continues Death, "but you will always have the memory of your friendship with…" he darts a quick glance at Piper who whispers the hamster's name, "Herbert," he finishes kindly.

Wyatt gives him a small smile before he hands Herbert over to him. "He likes Mommy's garden."

Death graciously accepts Herbert and promises, "Then I shall take him to the very best one that I know."

He proceeds to wave his hand over the tiny body and within the span of a moment; Herbert's soul rises from his body and descends into Death's palm as he passes the animal's physical remains to Piper who places the body into the wooden box that Leo was holding open.

Wyatt's eyes are still watery but also hopeful and seeing this, Death offers one last gift. "And because such a friendship will be remembered and should be honored, I would like to commemorate this moment," he waves his hand, "with this."

Piper loses all semblance of a grieving family member as she growls, "A drum set? You gave him a drum set?"

Death proffers her a smug smile. "I thought that it would be forever memorable enough to mark the occasion." When Wyatt eagerly runs off to try out his new drums, Death strides over to Piper and Leo and warns, "I also thought that perhaps this would help you to remember to ensure that I shouldn't be summoned here again except for the obvious reason."

"You're kidding me, right?" she huffs incredulously as she gestures towards the attic door. "In case you didn't notice, we happen to have a baby that wakes up at the slightest sound! So if this goes the way that I'm sure it will, then you're going to be back here a lot sooner than you expect!"

Instead of replying with a witty retort, Death's expression likens itself to that of his place in the Grand Design and becomes neutral. Then he slowly fades into a blend of blue light and smoke leaving only the image of a fading skull to flash before their eyes until he vanishes completely.

As Piper and Leo rush over to Wyatt to try and persuade him to hand over the drumsticks versus banging them against the cymbals, an invisible Death allows himself a few more moments to watch their family before he leaves the manor.

He knew that he was supposed to remain neutral when it came to such matters as human relations, but he had always been rather fond of the Halliwells. True, they had always fought him tooth and nail when it came to saving an innocent but when it came to their own mortality, each one of them had displayed a quiet and dignified grace that their time on Earth had come to an end.

His features break out into one last unseen smile and then he turns his attention to his small passenger. "Let's be off, shall we, Herbert? I happen to know of a garden that I believe that you will find particularly interesting," he proclaims as he leaves the mortal realm behind him to guide the tiny creature on its way.

**The End**


End file.
